Automatic thawing device



May 15, 1956 M. H. GOTLIB 2,745,258

AUTOMATIC THAWING DEVICE Filed Feb. 7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mi/fon HJ Gor/lb 40 JNI/ENTOR.

BY WWW /amfgem May 15, 1956 M. H. GOTLIB AUTOMATIC THAWING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1955 DD DE 331:11 l In@ INVENTOR. aozm BY @uw md5/away Emy;

United States Patent O Auron/inrit: rnawnst; nevica Milton H. Gotlih, Beverly Hills, CM., assignor of thirtythree and one-third per cent to Eugene W. Smith, Arcadia, and thirty-three and one-third per cent to Robert Haves, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application February 7, 1955, Serial Ne. 486,449

8 Claims. (Cl. 62-89) This invention relates to a thawing device and more specifically provides an automatic thawing device for use in conjunction with food freezers or other areas of reduced temperature normally used to store frozen foods or other articles.

An object of this invention is to provide an automatic thawing device for use in conjunction with a food freezer wherein material placed in the thawing device will be retained in a frozen condition until a predetermined time at which time the article will be moved from a position on the interior of the freezer to a position on the exterior of the freezer thereby permitting the article to be unfrozen.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an A automatic thawing device used with food freezers which provides a convenient device for a housewife wherein articles desired to be thawed will be placed in the thawing device and moved to an area having room temperature at a predetermined time lthereby permitting adequate thawing of the article before its use or cooking.

A further object of the present invention is to provide anautomatic thawing device that will not aiect the operation of the food freezer and will at all times retain the interior of the .food freezer in a sealed condition and Ywhich will be returned to its normal position by the use of a reset button.

Yet anotherimportant object of the present invention in construction, efficient and easy in use, well adapted for its intended purposes and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These, together with other objects and advantages which Yis to .provide an automatic thawing device that is simple will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of Yconstruction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

.Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the automatic ythawing device of the present invention mounted on the endwall of a food freezer;

Figure 2 is atop plan sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 2 2 of Figure 1 showing the details of construction of the rotatable semii device of the present invention showing the details of cony `struction thereof in its normal position and showing the device. in its thawing condition in dotted lines; and

,Figure 4 is a top plansectional view taken substantial- 1 ly upon a plane passing along section line 4 4 of Figure ice 2 3 showing further structural details of the drive mechanism for actuating the automatic thawing device.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, it will be seen that the numeral 10 generally designates the automatic thawing device for attachment to an end Wall 12 of a freezer generally indicated by the numeral 14 Wherein the freezer 14 is provided with a top 16 pivotally secured thereto by hinges 18 and sealed in relation thereto by a seal 2t) wherein the freezer 14 is conventional and while the freezer 14 as illustrated is one that opens from the top, it will be understood that the device 10 of the present invention may be utilized with various types of freezers, refrigerators or the like.

Referring now specifically to Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the end wall 12 of the freezer 14 is provided with an opening 22 having a closure member 24 mounted on a centrally disposed sleeve 26 that is secured to a rotatable shaft 28 mounted in bearing member 30 at the upper end of the opening 22 and the bearing 32 at the lower end thereof wherein the closure 24 will rotate around the vertical axis formed by the rod or shaft 28 and will effectively close the opening 22 when in alignment with the end wall 12. A vertical seal 34 is provided on the inner edge of the end wall 12 adjacent the opening 22 and seals 36 are disposed at the bottom and top of the opening 22 and a seal 37 is disposed completely around the opening 22 on the outer surface of the end wall 12 in a manner described hereinafter. Also, a seal 38 is disposed on the outer edge of the closure 24 for co-action with the seal 35 thereby eectively sealing the opening 22 when the closure 24 is in alignment therewith. Positioned exteriorally of the opening 22 and enclosing the same is a generally semi-cylindrical housing 4t? having an outwardly projecting peripheral flange 42 that is secured to the outer surface of the end wall l2 along with the seal 36 by fastening members 44. rEhe upper wall of the semi-cylindrical housing 4d is provided with a pivotal closure 46 secured to the peripheral ange 42 by hinge members 48 and the closure 46 is provided with a handle 5() for actuation thereof wherein the closure 46 may be lifted to an open position when desired for providing access into the interior of the housing 46 that is provided with a bottom wall 52 thereby forming a complete enclosure for the opening 22 and being of such size as to permit the closure 24 to rotate about its vertical axis formed by the rod 28.

Secured to the inner face of the closure 24 is a semi-cylindrical receptacle S4 having a bottom 56 and the side wall of the receptacle is constructed of reticulated material as indicated by the numeral 58 wherein air may circulate through the side walls of the semi-cylindrical receptacle 54. The receptacle 54 is substantially equal in size to the housing 4t) wherein the closure 24 with the receptacle 54 may be rotated about the vertical axis of the shaft 28 thereby moving the receptacle 54 from a position within the interior of the freezer 14 to a position on the exterior of the freezer 14 thereby permitting food placed in the receptacle 54 to be thawed in the desired manner for the desired amount of time which is necessary prior to cooking of the food.

In order to rotate the receptacle 54 and the closure 24 about the vertical axis of the shaft 28, it will be seen that the shaft 2S projects downwardly through the bottom of the opening 22 into a cavity 58 and the lower end thereof is mounted in a thrust bearing 60 and is provided with a worm pinion gear 62 mounted on the lower end thereof.

As seen .in Figure 4, a shaft 63 having a worm gear 64 thereon 1s in meshing engagement with the worm pinion gear 62 and is mounted in suitable bearings 66 and 63 mounted in the cavity 58 and on the outer surface of the end wall 12. An electric driving motorV 7i) having a driveV 2S through the meshing worm gear 7d, worm pinion geary 76, worm gear 64 and worm pinion gear 62 thereby forming a driveV means for rotating the shaft 28 and the receptacle 54 from a position within the freezer 1d to a position on the exterior of the freezer 14. It will be seen that the electric motor 7i? is provided with a housing 78 which Vencloses the motor 70 and suitable electric conductors 80 are'provided for supplying the motor 70 with power for actuation. lnorder to actuate ,the motor 70 at a predeterminedi time, the timer generally indicated by the numeral 82 is mounted on the end wall i2 of the freezer 14 and is provided with a timing mechanism 84, a timing mechanism adjusting kuch Sti, a reset knob S and a housing 92 enclosing the timing mechanism wherein the time indicating device S4 may be set by operating the knob 86 to a predetermined time wherein the electric motor will be energized for rotating the receptacle 54 from a position within the freezer f4 to a position on the exterior of the freezer 14. After this condition is accomplished, the thawing operation of the food placed in the receptacle 54 Vis conducted by the room temperature on the'exterior of the freezer i-l and after the food has been removed therefrom by opening the top 45 on the housing 4t), the reset button SS may be depressed thereby returning the container 54 linto the interior of the freezer 14.

-It will be seen that this device provides a handy thawing device for housewives or the like wherein it is necessary to thaw certain frozen foods a predetermined amount of time prior to their cooking. By utilizing the present invention, the housewife may position certain food articles in the container 54 and set the timing mechanism 82 at a predetermined time wherein the housewife then is not required to be in the lhouse for removing the articles to be thawed at the set time thereby enabling her to perform other duties as desired. Upon return to the house, the housewife will have the desired foods already unfrozen or thawed and positioned in the container 54 which is on the exterior of the freezer 14 and disposed in the housing 43 which retains the thawed food in cool condition and maintains the food in a sanitary conditionaway from insects such as tiies or the like. receptacle 54 back into the interior of the freezer i4, the

reset button i8 depressed wherein the closure 24 maintains the freezer end wall l2 in substantially constantv sealed relation and the interiorcapacity of the freezer 14 is not seriously hampered. Also, it 'will be understood f that suitablel electrical means may be provided for heating the housing itl if desired and other well known mechani-V cal means may he provided for removing the frozen foods from a position within the freezer 14 to a position on the exterior thereof thereby enabling the housewife to perform other duties without necessitating the return to the freezer 14 for removing the frozen food that is to be cooked for "60 accordingiy, all suitable modiiicationsand equivalents may be resorted to, falling within'the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. A thawing device comprising means for retaining .material in a cold area, and means for raising the temperature of the material, said retaining means including a receptacle movably mounted on awall separating a Cold When it is desired to reset the .f

area from a warm area, said receptacle moving from a po-V sition within the cold area to a posltton 1n the warm area v at a preset time.

2. A thawing device comprising a freezer wall having an opening therein, a receptacle movably mounted in said opening for movement from a position inside ofthe freezer to a position outside of the freezer for thawing the contents of the receptacle, and means for actuating said receptacle at a predetermined time.

3. A thawing device comprising a eezer wall having an opening therein,` a receptacle movably mounted in said opening for movement from a position inside of the freezer to a position outside of the freezer for thawing the con.

tentsvor" the receptacle, and means for actuating said receptacle at a predetermined time, said receptacle being.

tioned exteriorly of the opening'for receiving the recep-V tacle, said enclosure being provided with a pivotal door for providing access to the receptacle, `Said enclosure protecting the thawing material in the receptacle.

5. A thawing device comprising a freezer wall having an opening therein, a receptacle movably mounted in said opening for movement from a position inside of the freezer to a position outside of the freezer for thawing the contents of the receptacle, and means for. actuating said receptacle at a predetermined time, said actuationl means including an automatic adjustable timer for supplying .y

power to a receptacle moving means at a preset time.

6. A thawing device comprising arfreezer wall having",

an opening therein, a receptacle movably mounted in said opening'for movement from a position inside of the freezer to a position outside of the freezer for thawing the cony tents of the receptacle,'and means for actuating said receptacle at a predetermined time, said receptacle being substantially semi-cylindrical and mounted on a rotating vertical shaft positioned centrally of said opening, and a closure for. said opening forming one side of the receptacle and secured to said shaft for sealing Vthe openingV in both positions of the receptacle, and an enclosure positioned exteriorly of the opening for receiving ,the receptacle, said enclosure being providedv with a pivotal vdoor for providing access to the receptacle, said enclosure protecting the thawing material in the receptacle. Y

7. A thawing device comprising a freezer wall having an opening therein, a receptacle movably mounted in said opening for movement from a positioniinside of the freezer to a position outside of the freezer for thawing the contents of the receptacle, and means for actuating said'receptacle Vat a predetermined time, and an enclosure positioned exteriorly of the opening for receivingthe recep- V tacle,` said encloure being provided with a pivotal door for providing access to the receptacle, said enclosure protecting the thawing material in the receptacle, said actuation means including an automatic adjustable timer for supp lying power to a receptacle moving means at a preset time.

8. A thawing device comprising a freezer wall having an opening therein, a receptacle movably mounted in said opening for movement from a position inside of the freezer to a position outside ofthe freezer for thawing the'contents of the receptacle, and means for actuating said receptacle at a predetermined time, said receptacle being substantially semi-cylindrical and mounted on a rotating vertical shaft positioned centrally of said opening, and a closure for said opening forming one side of the receptacle and secured to said shaft for sealing the opening in both positions of the receptacle, and an enclosure positioned exteriorally of the opening for receiving the receptacle, said enclosure being provided with a pivotal door for providing access to the receptacle, said enclosure protecting the thawing material in the receptacle, said actuation means including an automatic adjustable timer for supplying power to a receptacle moving means at a preset time.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Grant DBC. 18, 1934 Clarke Dec. 6, 1938 Carriere Apr. 19, 1949 Russell et al. Mar. 20, 1951 Erickson Iuly 3, 1951 Munshower Sept. 25, 1951 Holland June 22, 1954 

